Air guidance arrangement for a motor vehicle

Abstract

An air guiding arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising a support part (18) arranged on a body part (6), on which support part an air guiding element (22) is provided such that it can be driven by a drive arrangement (24) with at least one coupling element (20) to be actuated, which is arranged on the support part (18) in such a way that the air guiding element (22) can be transferred from a retracted basic position to an extended maximum position, wherein at least one drive device is provided which is operatively connected to the at least one coupling element (20), wherein the at least one drive device is an electric actuator which is connected to the coupling element (20), characterized in that the coupling element (20) is formed by at least two coupling element legs (26, 28) which are connected to one another by an articulated element (30), and wherein at least one of the coupling element legs (26, 28) is made from an elastomer material composition.

Description

The invention relates to an air guiding arrangement for a motor vehicle, having a carrier part which is arranged on a body part and on which an air guiding element is provided such that it can be driven by a pneumatic drive arrangement having at least one coupling element which is to be actuated and is arranged on the carrier part in such a way that the air guiding element can be transferred from a retracted basic position to an extended maximum position, wherein at least one drive device is provided which is operatively connected to the at least one coupling element, wherein the at least one drive device is an electrical actuator which is connected to the coupling element.Air guiding arrangements are known from German laid-open specification DE 102011 112 514 A1 and from U.S. patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,016 A. In this case, the air guiding arrangement has an air guiding element which extends in the front of the vehicle in the transverse direction of the vehicle and is designed as a front spoiler and can be transferred from a retracted rest position into an extended maximum position and vice versa, in order to achieve an optimum aerodynamic effect in every operating situation, in particular with regard to the output values of the motor vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,016 A discloses an air guiding arrangement with a coupling element having two rigid coupling elements which are rotatably connected to one another at a hinge point. The generic German laid-open specification DE 10 2018 123 487 A1 discloses an air guiding arrangement of this type with a four-bar linkage which has rigid coupling elements and is connected to an electric actuator. These air guiding arrangements have the disadvantage that the air guiding element is permanently damaged in the extended state when it hits an obstacle due to the rigid coupling elements. In contrast, DE 10 2011 112 514 A1 discloses an air guiding arrangement in which an elastic spoiler lip can be moved in or out via pneumatic coupling elements. Due to the construction of the air guiding element and the coupling elements, this air guiding arrangement has an elasticity in cooperation which enables the air guiding element to give way to a certain extent to obstacles and in this way to avoid lasting damage to the air guiding arrangement. Nevertheless, such an arrangement is expensive and expensive to manufacture and assemble. In addition, the pneumatic coupling elements are themselves sensitive to damage. Furthermore, it is known from DE 10 2020 128 214 A1 to let an air guiding element, which is adjustable in the vertical direction of the vehicle by means of a coupling element, buckle in the event of a collision in that a part of the coupling element is formed deformable, so that a buckling axis can be formed.It is therefore the object of the invention to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages in a manner which is as cost-effective and simple as possible.This object is achieved in that the coupling member is formed by at least two coupling member legs which are connected to one another by a joint member and wherein at least one of the coupling member legs is produced from an elastomer material composition. This makes it possible to use a simple and thus cost-effective drive device and nevertheless to ensure high flexibility of the air guide arrangement, in particular with respect to obstacles to be traveled overIn a particularly advantageous manner, the at least one coupling element limb is constructed from different layer elements. This ensures optimum flexibility with high rigidity. In this case, rubber, carbon fiber and polyester resin can be used advantageously as layer elements.Alternatively, the coupling element can be formed in one piece and the joint element can be formed as a solid joint. In a particularly simple and cost-effective manner, the flexure joint can be produced by a reduction in cross section. A further advantageous embodiment is provided in this case in that the coupling element is V-shaped in the extended state and the connection point of the two coupling element legs forms the flexure joint.In an advantageous embodiment, a fastening arrangement for the air guiding element is provided in the rest position. The attachment arrangement may comprise, for example, a clip or magnetic connection device. In the case of a one-piece coupling element, this could then be mounted under prestress in the rest position. The drive device would then merely have to disconnect the connecting device and the coupling element would then assist the deployment into the respective operating situations of the air guiding element.In a particularly advantageous manner, the air guiding element is designed as a front spoiler.The invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front area of a motor vehicle, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an extended air guiding element of an air guiding arrangement, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the retracted air guiding element of an air guiding arrangement.FIG. 1 shows a front section 2 of a motor vehicle 4. the front section 2 has, in a known manner, a front part 6, on which an air guide arrangement 8 is provided for optimizing the driving behavior, in particular at high speeds. The air guiding arrangement 8 extends in the vehicle transverse direction FQ and ends with its free ends 10, 12 at longitudinal sections 14, 16 of the nose part 6.FIG. 2 shows a sectional view in the region of the air guiding arrangement 8 of FIG. 1 A carrier part 18 of the air guiding arrangement 8 is provided on the nose part 6. A plurality of coupling elements 20 are arranged on this carrier part 18, one of which is shown in the side view, which transfer an air guiding element 22 from a retracted basic position to an extended maximum position. The coupling elements 20 are here part of an electric drive arrangement 24, which additionally comprises one or more electric drive elements, not shown in more detailThis device is provided with drive means which act on the respective coupling member 20. The coupling element 20 produced in one piece in the present exemplary embodiment has two coupling element legs 26, 28, which are connected to one another in a V-shaped manner by a joint element 30. The coupling element 20 is here produced completely from an elastomer material composition which, in the present exemplary embodiment, has different layer elements made of rubber, carbon fiber and polyester resin. The joint element 30 is designed here as a solid joint which is formed in a simple manner by a reduction in cross section. It should be clear that the coupling element 20 can be designed in a variety of ways. In particular, it is also conceivable that only one coupling element limb 26, 28 is produced from an elastomer material composition in order to impart the necessary elasticity and flexibility to the coupling element 20. The joint element 30 can also be designed, for example, as a rotary joint with a resistance to rotation.The coupling elements 26, 28 are fastened at their opposite ends to a rotatably mounted shaft 32, 34 on the nose part 6 and on the air guiding element 22, in order to be able to be transferred in a simple manner from an extended maximum position into the retracted base position.36 and 38 designate magnetic elements as part of a fastening arrangement 36, 38 which ensure secure fixing on the carrier part 18 in a retracted basic position of the air guiding element 22.

Claims

Air guiding arrangement for a motor vehicle, having a carrier part (18) arranged on a body part (6), on which carrier part an air guiding element (22) is provided such that it can be driven by a drive arrangement (24) having at least one coupling element (20) which is to be actuated and is arranged on the carrier part (18) in such a way that the air guiding element (22) can be transferred from a retracted basic position to an extended maximum position, wherein at least one drive device is provided which is operatively connected to the at least one coupling element (20), wherein the at least one drive device is an electrical actuator which is connected to the coupling element (20), characterized in that the coupling element (20) is formed by at least two coupling element limbs (26, 28) which are connected to one another by a joint element (30), and wherein at least one of the coupling element limbs (26, 28) is produced from an elastomer material composition.Air guiding arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the at least one coupling element limb (26, 28) is constructed from different layer elements.Air guiding arrangement according to Claim 2, characterized in that rubber, carbon fibre and polyester resin can be used as the layer element.Air guiding arrangement according to one of Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the coupling element (20) is formed in one piece and the joint element (30) is formed as a solid-state joint.Air guiding arrangement according to Claim 4, characterized in that the flexure bearing (30) is produced by a reduction in cross section.Air guiding arrangement according to Claim 4, characterized in that the coupling element (20) is of V-shaped design in the extended state and the connection point of the two coupling element limbs (26, 28) forms the solid-state joint (30).Air guiding arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a fastening arrangement (36, 38) for the air guiding element (22) is provided in the rest position.Air guiding arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air guiding element (22) is designed as a front spoiler.

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